Advice on a Kel-Tec

[mark775]

Also, tho you'll never have a finely tuned, hand-crafted instrument for $200 (that's what my .380 cost new) KT is great to work with and will make the thing work right if you have problems. Great pocket gun.

[P-11 shooter]

I personally wouldn't trade the shotgun for a Kel-Tec. The shotgun is probably worth more than the Kel-Tec. I am a KT supporter, but there are more friendly to shoot options out there.

His best option would be to sell the shotgun outright, for what it is actually worth. Not just what the dealer wants to give, remember they have to make a profit on the resale so they will offer low. Then buy a pistol that fits his hands.

There's your answer. For a little more money than a new kel-tec he cold get a new Kahr cw9, or a used glock.

Keep the shotgun, or tell him to sell it and save some pennies for something a little nicer.

Before I never would have said that. I love my kel-tec p-11. But after shooting it for over a year with people with nicer guns I had to upgrade. I got the S&W M&P9c and now I can knock over steel like the big boys and not have to "make due" with a crappy trigger.

There's lots of options.

[jmanzini]

I made a mistake. My bad. I was talking to him today and I misunderstood what he said about the value of the gun he won. It was $250.00 not $350.00. It's a Mossberg Combo that includes deer and turkey barrells.

The reason he wants to trade is ... he wants someting he can carry.

Sorry about the misquote.

[den9]

i think the mossberg is worth atleast 350, especially a combo gun. sounds like the gun dealer is jerking your son around

[Minor Threat]

Along with what everyone else has already said, the shottie is still worth more then a Keltec that he wants to carry. I love my P-11 & carry it - had it for years with no problems, but I would take the shottie & put it F/S here, get the cash then go find a compact pistol that he really likes.

[Legionnaire]

Quick web search will show that a Mossberg 500 combo typically goes in the $300 range. Personally, I'd keep the shotgun and save for a good carry piece. Trading one gun for another through a dealer is not the most economical; the dealer will make his margin on both guns. Best bet, if he really wants to get rid of the Mossberg, is to sell it and buy what he really wants. All that said, trading it might be the easiest thing. But I'd caution against being forced into a particular handgun. Have him ask the dealer what value he'll give on trade toward any handgun, and then decide what to buy.

But I'll say again, Mossberg 500s are great shotguns, and unless he plans never to use it, or already has a serviceable shotgun, I'd encourage him to hang on to it.

[tom vito]

A little bit of an opposite opinion, but if the shot gun was taken from the place of business, i.e. gun shop or store, then every gun shop I know of will consider that a used gun. No matter if it never had a round chambered in it. this happen to buddy last spring, he won a marlin lever action at a gun show, asked the dealer about trading and the dealer told him the value was $650.00, he was offered a gift certificate or the gun, he took the gun, did the paper work, and after about 2 hours, never left the building, he decided that he would rather have a handgun, went back and the dealer told since paper work was done, it would now be consider a used firearm and the value was now $00.00. He consulted a buddy that is a gun buyer for Cabelea's of Wheeling was told exactly the same thing.

So I guess my whole point is, to me it sounds like a fair trade. Especially if a small carry handgun is what he is after. Also my .380 P3T was the worst gun I ever owned for the first 200 rounds. It wouldn't feed, it wouldn't eject, it broke a clip, just down right terrible. Just after 200 rounds, everything came together and it has been great ever since. I would, and do trust my life to it. And I would never trust any handgun for self defense until it has Atlases a few hundred rounds through it.

Tom

[st.marys]

I love my little Kel Tec 32 as a pocket gun, but I carry either my Glock 26 or if I'm on a car trip I take my Taurus 1911. If this is his first pistol, then I steer him away from the small kel tecs. He could trade the shotgun in and add a few bucks $100 - $125 and get a Glock, or another brand such as a Springfield XD, or a used something else. Although most of us have done it when we first started in to hand guns, we bought something inexpensive, then weren't satisfied, then went back traded it in, lost more money and got what we should have in the first place.

[jmanzini]

I want to thank all of you for your input both pro and con, and I am going to forward it to him.

[pacodelahoya]

A little bit of an opposite opinion, but if the shot gun was taken from the place of business, i.e. gun shop or store, then every gun shop I know of will consider that a used gun. No matter if it never had a round chambered in it. this happen to buddy last spring, he won a marlin lever action at a gun show, asked the dealer about trading and the dealer told him the value was $650.00, he was offered a gift certificate or the gun, he took the gun, did the paper work, and after about 2 hours, never left the building, he decided that he would rather have a handgun, went back and the dealer told since paper work was done, it would now be consider a used firearm and the value was now $00.00. He consulted a buddy that is a gun buyer for Cabelea's of Wheeling was told exactly the same thing.

So I guess my whole point is, to me it sounds like a fair trade. Especially if a small carry handgun is what he is after. Also my .380 P3T was the worst gun I ever owned for the first 200 rounds. It wouldn't feed, it wouldn't eject, it broke a clip, just down right terrible. Just after 200 rounds, everything came together and it has been great ever since. I would, and do trust my life to it. And I would never trust any handgun for self defense until it has Atlases a few hundred rounds through it.

Tom

You said it Tom, used is used. Try taking a new car around the block and returning it for full price.